Analysis of the Components of an Interdisciplinary Applied Curriculum for Tourism Psychology in Higher Education: A Delphi Approach
Keywords:
Higher education, curriculum, interdisciplinary applied curriculum, tourism psychology, Delphi methodAbstract
This study aimed to identify and validate the components and indicators of an interdisciplinary applied curriculum for tourism psychology in higher education. This qualitative exploratory study employed the Delphi method. The study population comprised experts in curriculum planning, psychology, and tourism in higher education who had at least 10 years of relevant professional experience. Using purposive and snowball sampling, 12 experts were recruited. Expert interviews were initially conducted to identify preliminary curriculum components and indicators, after which the extracted indicators were screened and validated through two Delphi rounds. Experts rated the importance of each indicator on a five-point scale, and indicators with mean scores below 3.5 were excluded. Kendall’s coefficient of concordance was calculated to assess the degree of consensus among the experts. The initial analysis identified 37 components and 161 indicators. In the first Delphi round, three indicators—active long-term goals, enhancement of creative and critical thinking, and a sense of self-meaning—obtained mean scores below 3.5 and were therefore excluded. Kendall’s coefficient of concordance was 0.536 in the first round. The remaining 158 indicators were reassessed in the second round, and all obtained mean scores above 3.5. Kendall’s coefficient increased to 0.637, while the mean standard deviation of expert ratings decreased from 0.588 in the first round to 0.568 in the second round, indicating greater convergence of expert judgments and achievement of consensus. The findings indicate that an interdisciplinary applied curriculum for tourism psychology is a multidimensional framework encompassing a broad set of expert-validated indicators. The final set of 158 indicators can provide an evidence-informed foundation for designing, revising, and developing higher-education curricula that integrate psychology and tourism. Such a curriculum may strengthen the alignment of university education with the psychological and behavioral requirements of tourism and contribute to improved educational effectiveness and tourism-sector performance.
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Copyright (c) 1404 Parvaneh Sarkeshikzadeh (Author); Alireza Manzari Tavakoli (Corresponding author); Farshid Khosropour (Author)
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